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UKD plans party revamp

By Our Staff Correspondent

DEHRA DUN, SEPT. 6. The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) that played a leading role in the agitation for creation of the hill State plans to revamp its organization at all levels to regain the popularity it lost to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the past decade.

Talking to presspersons, the new UKD president, B D Raturi, felt that the party could regain the popularity it enjoyed during the agitation by reaching out to villages with a need-oriented agenda. Mr Raturi has been nominated the president after the demise of Vipin Tripathi last week.

The national parties hijacked the voter by saying that only they could bring about all round development and described the regional forces as groups that could not govern a State.

"Now, the people have seen the dismal and anti-people performances of the BJP and the Congress governments. The common man feels cheated as he has got nothing while the politicians-bureaucrats combine is all set to sell the State to a few big business houses. The people in the villages are now in a worse condition than they were in while part of Uttar Pradesh. The Tiwari Government has even divided the Uttarakhand agitationists by promising jobs to only the Congress-minded activists. The government makes loud claims of having succeeded in tourism and information technology. Can Mr Tiwari name a single venture that has been promoted for the benefit of the poor unemployed youths'', Mr Raturi asked.

A not very moderate leader like his predecessor, Mr Raturi hopes to utilize the feeling of despair among the masses to create a wave in UKD's favour over the next two years after which the next Assembly polls will be held. "I also appeal to all those who had left the UKD over the years to return to the party and make it the real force of the people'', he said.

It is to be seen whether the Dewaker Bhatt faction of the party returns home. If that happens, the UKD is bound to perform better next elections, observers feel.

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